In 1998 Christopher Barnes won a Northern Arts writers award. In July 200 he
read at Waterstones bookshop to promote the anthology "Titles Are Bitches".
Christmas 2001 he debuted at Newcastle's famous Morden Tower doing a reading
of his poems. Each year he reads for Proudwords lesbian and gay writing festival
and he participates in workshops. 2005 saw the publication of his collection
LOVEBITES published by Chanticleer Press, 6/1 Jamaica Mews, Edinburgh.
"Monuments" and "A City of 1282 Bridges" are from The
Amsterdam Poems. The poets maintains a web site
at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/gay/2004/05/section_28.shtml

MONUMENTS

Land set aside for bartering
before the fill of hoarding terminuses,
storage barrels girdled, stout mamas,
tipple-stores rippling light-headed hops.

And have you considered the briny moat,
mark of Orange, silks, spices
raised from slippery canals,
twinkle of ramshackled maisonettes,
skin-sheading stucco, moth-eaten emulsion?